In the New York Times tomorrow, Caroline Kennedy presents an op-ed in which she endorses Barack Obama. Yeah, yeah, I'm a Barack supporter, so I'm posting this. But that's not the only reason. It's a well-written piece that aptly negotiates the intersection of the personal and the political. Kennedy writes of her father--in fact, the editorial is titled, "A President Like My Father"--of her children, of her hopes for the country.
The timing of this publication is crucial. Following a primary that focused intensely on race, Obama did well in all voting blocks except white women. Kennedy's writing seems particularly geared toward her own identity group. Will it add to Obama's campaign?
1 comment:
First let me say that I really like Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg. I think she's a good writer, and I think her op-ed has some merit. But (you guys knew that was coming) I'm always wary anytime anyone compares a politician to JFK for one key reason: if we examine his presidency, we have to admit that he wasn't a great president, especially in terms of foreign. He got our country more deeply entrenched in the Vietnam War, and he brought us to the edge of nuclear war with the USSR. In terms of domestic policy, he had a fairly good record, especially in terms of the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement, but I really wish Americans (and Democrats in particular) would try to look at JFK with a little more objectivity. We tend to idolize him because he was assassinated, overlooking the mistakes he made. I don't know that Obama wants to be compared to JFK, at least if we consider JFK's record with defense and wars.
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